Burn Bans

August 11 – Officials in Guadalupe County have encouraged residents with brush piles to burn sooner rather than later because of the possible implementation of a burn ban in the near future.

August 13 – A burn ban was issued for Angelina County after numerous reports of fires, although the ban is not applicable to the city of Lufkin.

August 13 – Nolan County joined Shackelford and Stephens counties as Big County counties with burn bans, as July rains brought excessive grasses that have dried up during August.

August 26 – Several counties in the Brazos Valley were placed under burn bans in the anticipation of a lengthy stretch of drier weather.

Drought

Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification

Fires

August 4 – Firefighters were forced to battle extreme heat in addition to a fire that broke out at a church in Northeast Houston, but the fire was put out before damaging the sanctuary or causing injury.

August 5 – Experts in the Big Country fear that the upcoming fall and winter could be one of the worst fire seasons in years because spring and summer rainfall has led to an abundance of grasses that serve as fuel for fires.

August 6 – Lightning is believed to have caused multiple fires in Rusk County, including a fire started after lightning struck a pair of oil storage tanks.

August 10 – The summer heat and dryness is creating dangerous fire conditions in Central Texas because of the abundance of vegetation, and a man that was cutting hay started a fire that cost nearly $2,000.

August 16 – Thunderstorms in Montgomery County was accompanied by frequent lightning, which sparked several house fires in The Woodlands and Magnolia.

August 21 – A grass fire consumed 100 acres of land in the Guadalupe County town of Kingsbury, and one firefighter was injured while battling the blaze.

August 23 – A Galveston County fire burned more than 60 acres of land in San Leon and some of the items burned were believed to have been washed onshore by Hurricane Ike.

August 27 – The Victoria County Fire Department is reporting the frequency of wildfires has more than doubled over the past two weeks, thanks in large part to dead vegetation that provides fuel to the fires.

Water Supply

August 2 – One a day when the high temperature reached 101 degrees in Weatherford, a 24-inch pipe at the central water pumping station broke and left over 25,000 people without water.

August 5 – Officials have warned that restrictions on drawing water from the Guadalupe River could be imminent despite above normal rainfall so far in 2010.

August 12 – About 400 families in the Hood County town of Canyon Creek were forced to endure two days without water in the blistering summer heat.

August 15 – Water usage in Temple is down about 6 million gallons a day from last year, when water usage was around 25 million gallons a day.

August 16 – The city of Austin is reporting that residents are beginning to follow watering restrictions, which has saved about 15 million gallons of water.

August 19 – The city of Kerrville will enact Stage One watering conditions as the streamflow rate of the Guadalupe River has dropped to 39 cubic feet per second.

August 20 – The Marshall Water Department plant has been pumping 7.7 million gallons of water per day in August, which is up from the 6 million gallons a day pumped in August of 2009.

August 20 – Residents of the Frontier Apartments in Abilene were in danger of having their water turned off because the landlord is behind on paying the water bill, which is included in the rent of tenants.

August 21 – The city of Coppell has enacted Stage 1 watering restrictions, which limits outdoor watering during the day, but area lakes are near full capacity so no further restrictions are anticipated.

August 22 – The city of Gilmer has seen a 15-20% increase during a recent heat wave, pumping about 1.2 million gallons of water per day by the end of July.

August 25 – The San Antonio Water System has responded to 130 major water main breaks this summer, down from 486 reported water main breaks during the summer of 2009.

August 25 – The O.H. Ivie reservoir, the main water supplier in San Angelo, lost 750 million gallons of water from evaporation during July.

August 31 – The Texas attorney general is investigating the reason for excessive water bills at low-income homes whose water is supplied by the Kennedy Ridge Water Supply Corporation.

Agricultural Impacts

August 1 – The abundance of rainfall this year in the Panhandle has had mostly positive effects on crops, but negatives to the moisture are a loss of soil nitrogen and increase in damage caused by insects.

August 7 – The spring and early summer rains helped out the cotton crop, but a recent dry spell with temperatures consistently topping 100 degrees has some worried about a lack of soil moisture.

August 13 – Agriculture in North Texas was struggling to cope with triple-digit temperatures, areas as "dry as a desert", and armyworm outbreaks.

August 17 – The Texas cotton crop is expected to produce 8.8 million bales, which would be a record yield. The bumper crop in Texas coincides with a poor cotton crop elsewhere in the world, which means prices are up in the global market.

August 20 – Cattlemen in North Texas are concerned that the stagnant pond water livestock are drinking from during this hot and dry period may contain toxic levels of blue green algae.

August 26 – Rain in the Big Country near San Angelo brought relief to maturing cotton crops, though earlier projections of a bumper cotton crop have been tempered.

August 27 – The Cap*Rock Wine Company expects to have its busiest crushing season ever, with the 700 tons of grapes projected this year dwarfing the 38 tons from last year.

August 27 – The corn harvest in Central Texas has been hampered by high levels of aflatoxin that grows during periods of hot, dry, and humid weather.

August 28 – Crop losses associated with flooding in the Rio Grande Valley this summer are still being tabulated but once added up are expected to be staggering.

Inclement Weather

Cold

August 18 – The National Transportation Safety Board indicated that adverse wintry weather conditions likely contributed to a helicopter crash off the coast of Sabine Pass that killed five passengers on board.

Flooding

August 1 – Back in 1975, voters approved a flood control ditch that was never built but is needed now more than ever because of housing developments that have exploded in the area.

August 7 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a $2.3 million to the city of Harlingen to widen a drainage canal that will reduce future flooding problems.

August 8 – The Mission Fire Department has responded to more than 15 calls for water rescues on the Rio Grande River since early July, a service that's normally only needed once or twice a month.

August 22 – Resaca de la Palma State Park in Brownsville is dealing with flooding, while only 30 miles upstream, the Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco is dealing with a water shortage.

August 22 – The Arroyo Colorado Hike and Bike Trail in Harlingen has been submerged for a month and any repairs will be paid for by relief funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Heat

August 2 – When summer temperatures hit their daily peak during the late afternoon and early evening hours, Austin Energy uses 10 jet engines to help cool local homes.

August 3 – Xcel Energy reported widespread power outages that were blamed on the excessive heat, and a spokesperson suggests that leaving the thermostat in the 80s when not home can help consumers save energy.

August 3 – Two kids in the Tarrant County city of Hurst are set up a lemonade stand in order to raise money for a new air conditioning unit.

August 4 – Electricity consumption reached a new record today, as Texans used 63,594 megawatts between 4pm and 5pm, breaking the previous record set on July 13th, 2009.

August 5 – The city of Houston activated its heat emergency plan as heat indices climbed close to 110 degrees during the afternoon hours. Houston is opening cooling centers around the city to help high-risk individuals without access to air conditioning.

August 6 – A string of seven consecutive reaching at least 100 degrees in the Dallas-Fort Worth area evoked memories of the 1980 heat wave, when 42 consecutive days of triple-digit heat finally came to an end 30 years ago this week.

August 6 – Officials with the Temple Fire and Rescue unit say heat was the likely contributed to the deaths of an elderly couple found in their home with the air conditioning off.

August 7 – The medical staff at the Rock the Desert Christian music festival remained busy, treating more than 100 people for heat-related illnesses.

August 8 – There are several different insulation options available to help cut summer utility bills, including a technology called Radiant Shield that was developed by NASA in the 1960s to protect astronauts from the heat of outer space.

August 9 – Six cooling centers have been set up in the city of Abilene for senior citizens to escape the oppressive heat, the first year this has been done.

August 10 – Project Unity is grateful for a $1,000 donation by a Brazos Valley businessman that was used to purchase fans for local families trying to cope with the heat.

August 10 – The death of an Oak Hill firefighter, who died during a 4.4 mile training run, was completely preventable according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

August 11 – Excessive heat is being blamed for the death of an Alvin woman, who had yet to install a new air conditioner in her mobile home.

August 11 – Emergency rooms in the Bryan/College Station area have seen a significant increase in traffic over recent weeks due to heat-related illnesses.

August 12 – Athletes in the San Antonio observing the dawn to dusk fasting of Radaman, which has been particularly hard because of triple-digit temperatures.

August 12 – The United Way of Tarrant County says requests for help to pay electricity bills has increased by 26% from last year and requests for fans and air conditioners have more than tripled.

August 12 – Almost 700 homes and businesses in the Tarrant County city of Southlake lost power for about two hours in the afternoon, when temperatures were over 100 degrees.

August 13 – Two soldiers from Fort Hood were listed in critical condition and among eight taken to the hospital after a 12-mile march in early morning heat and humidity.

August 14 – A two-year-old Wylie girl died after being left unattended in a car parked outside her home, and is the ninth Texas child to die this year from being left in a excessively hot automobile.

August 14 – The Centennial High School Band's annual March-a-Thon in Frisco was cut short because the hot temperatures did not allow marchers to complete the scheduled 6-mile route.

August 15 – Forty fans were treated for heat exhaustion at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as the Texas Rangers took on the Boston Red Sox in temperatures over 100 degrees.

August 18 – A 17-year-old girl died of heat-related causes after going on a nature walk at the Five Oaks Achievement Center west of Houston.

August 18 – Seven members of the Joshua High School Sweethearts dance team were taken to the hospital after a camp in Sulphur Springs.

August 18 – The extreme heat is being blamed for the death of a Victoria man who was an avid fisherman and was found unresponsive while fishing at Riverside Park.

August 19 – A Canadian toddler died after being left in an extremely hot vehicle was parked in a northwest Harris County driveway.

August 23 – The supply for certain blood types is dangerously low in North Texas and blood banks are blaming the heat for the drop in donations.

August 24 – Abilene police are reporting that burglaries are on the rise in homes that had window air conditioning units.

August 24 – The state of Texas set a new record for power usage on the 23rd between 4pm-5pm according to the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas.

August 28 – A toddler from Socorro was found dead after being left in the extreme heat of an SUV for 4 hours when outside temperatures were in the 90s.

August 30 – Electricity usage in Texas reached a new record level when it hit 65,715 megawatts, the fourth straight week record-setting usage has been recorded by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

August 31 – Residents of the Dobie Center dormitory complex at the University of Texas in Austin have complained that despite air conditioning, temperatures in their rooms are consistently near 80 degrees.

Hurricanes

August 19 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will set up several Disaster Recovery Centers in the Rio Grande Valley in the aftermath of Hurricane Alex.

Severe Weather

August 16 – Strong storms with intense straight-line winds blew out windows at a CVS and peeled off part of a roof in Bastrop County and damaged the roof of a Lifetime Fitness in Williamson County.

August 17 – The city of Corpus Christi will spend $350,000 of emergency funds to clean up tree limbs and branches that were left by 90 mph winds on June 2nd.

August 23 – Thunderstorms in Terrell was accompanied by winds up to 60mph, which peeled part of the roof of the Villager Inn.

August 23 – Nearly 100,000 CenterPoint customers in and around Sugar Land lost power as slow-moving severe thunderstorms passed through the area.

August 24 – The northwest side of Waco was littered with storm damage after strong winds accompanying a severe thunderstorm blew through the area.

August 25 – Thunderstorms that pushed through Greenville left 2,100 homes and businesses without power and damaged a building in the downtown area.

Other Climate Impacts

August 3 – Triple digit heat has greatly reduced the number of volunteers serving in the Meals on Wheels program in East Texas.

Air/Water Quality

August 15 – Under new guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Frisco will be in violation of lead pollution standards.

August 17 – The upcoming ragweed season in Central Texas is expected to be difficult for sufferers due to the significant spring and early summer rains that have been followed by a recent hot and dry spell.

August 26 – The Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice released a study stating that the Fayette Power Project in LaGrange is contaminating water with toxic metals.

August 27 – Excessive rains in the Panhandle this summer had many positive benefits, but experts are expecting the rains to cause a miserable autumn for ragweed sufferers.

Animals/Aquatic Life

August 5 – The recent spell of hot weather is zapping the energy from animals housed at the Abilene Animal Shelter though none of the animals have required veterinary care.

August 10 – Dogs are extremely vulnerable to heat stroke when summer temperatures reach into the triple digits, but there are several preventative measures owners can take to ensure the safety of their dogs.

August 15 – The number of sea turtle nests in the Rio Grande Valley this year was down 35% from last year and scientists are blaming the extreme cold of the past winter.

August 26 – There have been 12 snake bites recorded in Palo Pinto County this summer, one of which led to the death of a young girl, and the higher than normal numbers are thought to be due to high temperatures.

August 31 – Fish have been suffocating in Lake Travis near Mansfield Dam because the heat has forced the fish down to levels of the lake where the oxygen supply is limited.

Climate

August 29 – According to climate projections, temperatures 4 to 5 degrees above normal in 2010 may be the new normal 50 years from now.

Construction

August 29 – The Orange campus of Lamar State College is in the final stages of renovations of buildings that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike nearly 2 years ago.

August 30 – The Texas City Dike, a five-mile long pier popular with fisherman, is nearly completely rebuilt after extensive damage caused by Hurricane Ike.

Economics

August 4 – President Obama declared eight South Texas counties as federal disaster areas because of damage caused by Hurricane Alex in early July.

August 6 – The Southwest Ice Company has seen sales go through the roof as the mercury in Dallas-Fort Worth area thermometers has risen.

August 9 – Numerous North Texans that paid for a Colorado roofing company to repair roof damage caused by a series of spring storms learned that the company no longer exists.

August 14 – Residents in southern Val Verde County may receive up to $30,000 per household as part of a federal assistance program to help victims of Rio Grande flooding.

August 22 – Statistics showed that taxpayers in Dallas were paying $136 for each visitor that swam at the Exline swimming pool in South Dallas over the past three years.

August 30 – Real estate development in the Upper Rio Grande Valley may come to a standstill if Federal Emergency Management Agency flood plain maps are approved.

August 31 – The extreme drought of 2009 is being blamed for a few percentage point dip of rural land prices in South and West Texas.

Homes/Gardening/Trees

August 24 – The city of Sugar Land has announced a debris cleanup plan that will clean up limbs and branches that were downed by severe thunderstorms.

August 25 – Millions of dollars worth of plants placed along the North Central Expressway in Dallas have struggled to survive the extreme summer heat.

Hunting/Fishing

August 1 – The famous 61st Street fishing pier in Galveston is almost back in business is almost back in business after being nearly destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

August 21 – Good rains this spring and early summer have dove hunters across the state excited for the opening of the hunting season in September.

Recreation/Leisure/Athletics

August 1 – Snow and ice this past winter caused a great deal of damage at the Wind Creek Golf Course in Texoma, and the course is just now starting to round back into shape.

August 2 – Practicing in the heat of August has become a way of life for Texas high school football players.

August 2 – The Austin school district released guidelines for high school students participating in marching band or outdoor sports, which include frequent water breaks.

August 8 – Competitors had to endure grueling heat at the 23rd Annual Wool Capital Triathlon in San Angelo.

August 9 – The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department announced that four city pools will remain open through September 6th, while the rest will close on August 15th.

August 11 – The Texas Rangers baseball team is in danger of losing pitcher Cliff Lee unless they spend $100 million on sun screens, which could help lower stadium temperatures by 15 degrees or more.

August 14 – A Denton bicycle shop has remained busy, despite sweltering heat that has been in place during the month of August.

August 16 – Extreme heat in Austin forced the cancellation of an elephant and horse parade that is normally part of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey.

August 21 – The Tarleton State football team had its intrasquad scrimmage cut short because of lightning in the area.

August 28 – The extreme heat hampered attendance at the North Texas State Fair in Denton, which was 135,000 for the whole event, well below the anticipated 150,000 visitors organizers of the fair were hoping for.

Roads/Traffic/Travel

August 3 – Excessive temperatures led to the buckling of a section of Highway 377 in southwest Fort Worth, which forced the closure of northbound lanes of the highway for several hours.

August 4 – With air temperatures reaching 100 degrees and excess water from recent rainfall seeping underground, asphalt has buckled on several roads in the Panhandle.

August 7 – Heavy rainfall is being blamed for fatal traffic accident on Highway 75 in Denison, which killed one and injured five.

August 9 – Heavy rains forced the Texas Department of Public Safety to close Highway 176 in Martin County.

August 19 – The extreme heat in North Texas has caused locomotives from the Trinity Railway Express to overheat, causing the trains to run several minutes behind schedule.

August 28 – The steady rains the past several months in Hale County have hindered maintenance on county roads.